Hygena Domestic Appliances

Appliance Manufacturer & Brand Information

This company or brand is no longer trading and there is no active support that we are currently aware of for the brand or products

MFI acquired the Hygena brand name in 1982 although it had been in existence as a kitchen brand since the 1930's.

In general it appears that Hygena is sold below the Diplomat brand name in price terms which is also owned by MFI with QA Hygena and some Schreiber branded appliances.

hygena kitchen applainces logo who make dishwashers, washing machine, cookers, ovens, hobs and hoodsIn the Hygena range there are cookers, ovens, hobs, hoods, dishwashers and washing machines which are predominantly sold through Howden Joinery and the MFI stores. Most of the Hygena appliances sold were either built in or integrated as they were sold with new kitchens.

Hygena seems to be catering for people on a budget and the appliances do reflect this.

Fixed Price Hygena Repairs

Getting a fixed price Repair for your Hygena in your local area couldn’t be easier. Rest assured, we have a local network of fully trained appliance engineers able to Repair your appliance.

find out more about our Hygena Service

Grundig Domestic Appliances

Appliance Manufacturer & Brand Information

Grundig is a relatively new entrant to the world of domestic appliances even although the brand name goes back to the 1930’s with the German brand being best known for consumer electronics, radios, televisions and so on largely prior to the turn of the century.

However the brand name was bought by Arcelik, the parent company of Beko in 2007 after a period of dual ownership with Alba from 2004.

All the products that Grundig produce, at least in terms of domestic appliances, as far as we have seen so far, are merely rebadged Beko products with new aesthetics although often with a longer guarantee to justify the higher price points.

Before the acquisition of the Grundig brand by Beko we are not aware of Grundig ever producing large kitchen appliances.

Fixed Price Grundig Repairs

Getting a fixed price Repair for your Grundig in your local area couldn’t be easier. Rest assured, we have a local network of fully trained appliance engineers able to Repair your appliance.

find out more about our Grundig Service

Gaggenau Domestic Appliances

Appliance Manufacturer & Brand Information

Gaggenau has been around forever, it is one of the oldest brand names in the appliance industry with roots that can be traced back to almost medieval times if you believe the rhetoric from the company. However it wasn't until the 1930's that the company actually started to focus on making appliances, at that time cookers.

What is generally omitted from the history of Gaggenau on it's sale literature is that it was bought by the BSH Group, Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte in 1995 and is entirely owned by the BSH Group. Quite how the brand is operated within the group is open to speculation but it does seem to have the leading technological products and design elements before the lower market position brands have access to those elements.

It is fair to say that, with the exception of a very elite few brands, Gaggenau sits right at the very top of the pricing scale and remains a very exclusive brand that is quite probably beyond the financial reach of many people. In other words, it is extremely expensive products and with some very niche ones.

Fixed Price Gaggenau Repairs

Getting a fixed price Repair for your Gaggenau in your local area couldn’t be easier. Rest assured, we have a local network of fully trained appliance engineers able to Repair your appliance.

find out more about our Gaggenau Service

Frigidaire Domestic Appliances

Appliance Manufacturer & Brand Information

The first electric refrigerator was offered for sale in 1913. In 1915, Alfred Mellowes designed a new version of the original unit and in 1916 the Guardian Frigerator Company was organized to manufacture Mellowes' refrigerator. General Motors saw the potential of this company and purchased it in 1918 and gave it the name Frigidaire. Mass production techniques were applied, production facilities were improved and additional sales offices were opened. It was then that Frigidaire took off as a company. Along the way, it has recorded quite a few "firsts" and contributed immensely to the industry as a whole.

Among the milestones: 1921 One-piece metal lining "Hydrolene" that sealed the cork insulation

• 1924 Began to manufacture ice cream cabinets
• 1926 The first all-steel refrigerator cabinet
• 1927 The first porcelain-on-steel refrigerator exterior
• 1929 The first home food freezer (chest type)
• The first self-contained room air conditioner
• Frigidaire builds its one-millionth refrigerator! International sales begin
• 1930 The first "Hydrator", a humidity drawer for fruits and vegetables
• 1931 The first use of freon as a refrigerant
• 1933 The "Meter Miser", the first sealed, self-oiling rotary compressor unit
• 1938 The first air-cooled, window-type air conditioner
• 1948 The first refrigerator-freezer combination with completely separate freezer section
• 1952 The first automatic defrosting of the refrigerator compartment "Cycla-Matic"
• 1955 "Ice Ejector", a storage bin with built-in cube release is introduced
• 1958 "Frigi-Foam" insulation allowed for the first Frost-Proof refrigerator-freezer
• 1964 The jet action washer with roller-matic mechanism - not belts, pulleys or gears
• 1965 The first automatic ice maker which delivers cubes to the ice saver on door
• 1969 Molded "agi-tub" introduced, a combination spin tub and agitator - First use of polypropylene in a washer tub
• 1970 The first laundry center with washer and dryer
• 1974 Ice, juice and water through the door introduced on top mount refrigerator
• 1975 The first charcoal refrigerator deodorizer
• 1998 Introduced the PureSource Ice & Water Filtration System in side-by-side refrigerators
• 1999 Frigidaire's freezer factory produces 70 percent of freezers manufactured in the United States
• 2006 Introduced the industry's first frost-free chest freezer

As you can see the Frigidaire company have had a long history of innovation in the industry, often leading the way for others to follow. Now however, it appears to be not much more than another brand name in the Electrolux portfolio which is a great shame for such a historic brand.

It is also important to remember that Frigidaire in the UK and, certain other worldwide territories, is not the same products that are available in the US. Much of the UK refrigeration for example is re-badged Electrolux or Chinese and Eastern European origin.

In the US Frigidaire appears to command a premium brand name and, as such, pricing is above the budget brands.

In the UK Frigidaire never really made it into that sector and has languished with other lower end brands although, obviously with the heritage of the brand, it fares a little better than many.

Fixed Price Frigidaire Repairs

Getting a fixed price Repair for your Frigidaire in your local area couldn’t be easier. Rest assured, we have a local network of fully trained appliance engineers able to Repair your appliance.

find out more about our Frigidaire Service

Flavel Domestic Appliances

Appliance Manufacturer & Brand Information

Flavel is an astounding old British company that can trace the brands roots back to 1777, yes over three hundred years!

However the company didn't enter the cooking appliances market until the "Patent Kitchener" brought the company to real prominence. The first real cooking appliance to supersede the open "fire and spita", the Kitchener was displayed at the Great Exhibition held at "Crystal Palace" in 1851. Some 19,000 exhibitors were represented at the Exhibition but only 17 Prize Medals with special approbation were granted and Flavel's Kitchener received one of these; just one of numerous subsequent awards that Flavel received.

Flavel remained a privately owned Company until it was converted into a Limited Liability Company in 1902, but the Flavel family continued to oversee it's development and expansion as Directors up until 1931.

Although it was known primarily as a manufacturer of cooking appliances the Flavel factories were also commissioned at various times to assist the country at times of war, and cannonballs produced by Flavel were fired at both Trafalgar and Waterloo. During both the Great War and the Second World War, the factories were used for the production of munitions and armoury.

In more peaceful times the skills of the workforce enabled them to produce ornate and highly ornamental cast iron fireplaces, fire-backs and grates, many of them being specifically designed and cast for the great houses of the English aristocracy. Flavel was always recognized as being an innovative company and having had a relatively minor presence in the gas fire market in 1965 they introduced the first ever furniture fire with a wood surround - the Debonair.

Over the next 6 years this gas fire totally revolutionized the market and a phenomenal one and a half million were sold.

In more recent times the company continued to trade as Sidney Flavel and Co. until 1974 when it was absorbed into the Glynwed Group which was subsequently broken up in 1998 and the Flavel brand was transferred to Agafoodservice Group.

In 2002 AGA sold both the Leisure and Flavel brands to Turkey's Arcelik who are better known as Beko in the UK taking the brand ownership outside of the UK and, notably, all production as well to our knowledge.

Flavel has gone from being a premium product with a massive history around the name to being, in our opinion, devalued to the same point almost as the Beko brand is regarded in the marketplace. In other words, a step up from the bottom of the market.

Obviously whilst the appliance were being produced by Rangemaster they were pretty good cookers and essentially a cut down Rangemaster but, now, that is no longer the case.

Fixed Price Flavel Repairs

Getting a fixed price Repair for your Flavel in your local area couldn’t be easier. Rest assured, we have a local network of fully trained appliance engineers able to Repair your appliance.

find out more about our Flavel Service

Currys Essentials Domestic Appliances

Appliance Manufacturer & Brand Information

Essentials is a budget brand for the electrical retailer Currys and is an exclusive brand to the retailer but they do not actually make the products. All the washing machine and dishwasher models we could find appear to be rebranded Vestel products with some that appear to have come from China, namely Midea or Haier but with little to no information on the actual brand name itself.

Given the price points it is reasonable to say that these appliances are not of particularly high quality and will not be built to take much more than light use.

Budget brand positioned at the very bottom of the market that is exclusively sold through Currys both in store and online.

Fixed Price Currys Essentials Repairs

Getting a fixed price Repair for your Currys Essentials in your local area couldn’t be easier. Rest assured, we have a local network of fully trained appliance engineers able to Repair your appliance.

find out more about our Currys Essentials Service

Elica Domestic Appliances

Appliance Manufacturer & Brand Information

Founded by Ermanno Casoli in 1970 Elica continues to be one of the leading manufacturers of cooker hoods in Europe which has, in 2005, entered into the North American marketplace.

Elica owns the majority of Fox (sometimes referred to as Fox Arredo) as well as Air Force and Jet Air, both manufacturers of cooker hoods. They also have substantial holdings in some suppliers.

Elica spans from the bottom to the cooker hood market with the more efficient, better built and stylish hoods commanding the high prices. Recently however there seems to be a distinct move towards more expensive hoods that have really different designs, some would even say outlandish as they don't look like cooker hoods at all.

Performance of Elica hoods is very good indeed on any we've seen. In fact, in terms of performance Elica is more or less the industry leader in cooker hoods for performance often rivalling the very best and, most expensive of brands, including some commercial ones.

So on the whole, well built, good performance and great backup so a good buy in our opinion.

We have to say that we'd wholeheartedly recommend Elica Cooker Hoods to anyone and, we have, a lot.

An good alternative to Elica if you find Elica's cooker hoods a bit expensive is their cheaper range under the Turboair brand name.

Fixed Price Elica Repairs

Getting a fixed price Repair for your Elica in your local area couldn’t be easier. Rest assured, we have a local network of fully trained appliance engineers able to Repair your appliance.

find out more about our Elica Service

Electrolux Domestic Appliances

Appliance Manufacturer & Brand Information

Founded in 1910 as Elektromekaniska AB, and changed its name to Elektrolux after merging with Lux AB in 1919, the spelling was changed to Electrolux in 1957 under the leadership of Hans Werthon the Swedish company now known to all as Electrolux grew rapidly during the 1970s.

Electrolux is currently the second largest home appliance manufacturer in the world (07/2011) after Whirlpool Corporation selling more than 40 million products to customers in 150 countries every year. Electrolux products include refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, vacuum cleaners and cookers sold under brands as below.

The company is a behemoth that produces appliances for every territory on the planet.

Current consumer brands owned by this massive corporation include the following:

AEG, Arthur Martin, Atlas, Castor, Chef, Corbert, Dimas, Dito, Dometic, Elektro Helios, Electrolux, Electrolux Laundry Systems, Electrolux Professional, Eureka, Faure, Flymo, Frigidaire, Gibson Appliance, Juno, Kelvinator, Lehel, Marynen/Marijnen, McCulloch, Molteni, Parkinson Cowan, Progress, REX-Electrolux, Rosenlew, Simpson, Tappan, Target, Therma, Tricity Bendix, Viking, Volta, Voss, Wascator, Westinghouse, White Westinghouse, Zanussi, Zanussi Professional, Zoppas

Many of these brands are regional and Electrolux have been known to hire or lease the names to other companies on a regional basis, for example White Westinghouse was actually supplied by Premium Appliance Brands in the UK and not manufactured by Electrolux, nor does that brand use Electrolux products. Likewise, Frigidaire is in the same position, the brand actually controlled in the UK by the HI Group, again nothing to do with Electrolux.

This is very hard to give obviously as the group is just massive and covers almost every area of the industry, but in the UK the ELectrolux brand name is firmly in the low to mid sector of the market and is generally reasonably well regarded.

Whilst in the UK Electrolux are particularly strong on floorcare they've never really cracked the major appliances other than by snapping up brands like Tricity, which became Tricity Bendix, Zanussi and many of the others mentioned above.

In recent times it appears that the Tricity Bendix branding, which was used as a budget brand, has been more or less dropped and it appears that the Zanussi brand is being moved in to take over from that position.

Electrolux will also produce appliances for third parties such as John Lewis in the UK for whom Electrolux produce most of their laundry, cooking and cooling ranges despite the retailer alluding to it's brand's German origins. They're not German.

AEG, another Electrolux owned brand, is used at the upper mid section of the market drawing on the AEG branding's German roots to justify the higher price tags in large part along with some of the more modern features and technologies and a "Germanic" type design. Little if any of the products are in fact made in Germany or would have ever been near any German based operation, even in design. Like most of the laundry products the actual internal workings are based largely on the same platform as all the other brands, the same goes for dishwashers, cooling products and cooking products, only the badge and cosmetic changes are made.

Interestingly late in 2010 we started to see Zanussi washing machines being imported that had been built by Midea in China who also build washing machines for others in the UK.

Fixed Price Electrolux Repairs

Getting a fixed price Repair for your Electrolux in your local area couldn’t be easier. Rest assured, we have a local network of fully trained appliance engineers able to Repair your appliance.

find out more about our Electrolux Service

Delonghi Domestic Appliances

Appliance Manufacturer & Brand Information

Delonghi didn't actually come onto our radar in whitegoods until the company acquired the Elba brand and production facilities in 1986 as before this Delonghi was primarily involved in te production of small appliances and heating appliances, not in large kitchen appliances.

And, we largely lost interest in Delonghi again in 2007 when Fisher & Paykel purchased the Elba brand and production facilities from Delonghi for €78 million. It would appear that Delonghi wanted out of major appliances to go back to its roots and concentrate on its small appliance and heating businesses.

Largely it appears that whilst Delonghi owned Elba they produced in the UK under the Kenwood, Delonghi and Elba brand names with Kenwwod appearing to be an almost exclusive branding for the Currys chain of electrical stores. Quality was therefore secondary to meeting retail price points and, liek Elba, some quality and features were sacrificed in order to meet retailer demands detracting from what was otherwise not bad products.

The Delonghi brand now seems to have stopped being sold as a major appliance.

Fixed Price Delonghi Repairs

Getting a fixed price Repair for your Delonghi in your local area couldn’t be easier. Rest assured, we have a local network of fully trained appliance engineers able to Repair your appliance.

find out more about our Delonghi Service

De Dietrich Domestic Appliances

Appliance Manufacturer & Brand Information

De Dietrich has a long history, the name can be traced back to the 18th century but over the years the appliance side has been sold a few times to different owners.

De Dietrich claim three centuries of innovations, state of the art kitchen appliances that enhance your lifestyle. We'd not fully agree with that, especially given that the name has not been owned by the same people for that length of time and it seems to be stretching the truth somewhat.

De Dietrich launched the first range of vitro-ceramic hobs with integrated knobs in 1985.

The French De Dietrich was bought by Spain's Fagor Electrodomesticos.

In late 2013 the Fagor parent group collapsed however and De Dietrich almost died along with the demise of Fagor but, for the UK and Eire at least it has been picked up by an Irish distributor called KAL. Servicing and spares arrangements are currently not confirmed.

Priced towards the upper mid to top end of the market it would appear that Fagor want to take on the likes of Bosch, Siemens and Smeg.

The appliances and features are fine and probably would be well enough at home in this segment but they would often fall down on service and backup in the past when stacked up against the rivals. That however is changing and we hear that further changes to help solidify the service backup further are due to be undertaken during the course of 2012/2013.

Which has brought us to change our opinion largely on De Dietrich, they are much better than they were in the past and now worhy alternatives to the likes of Smeg, Neff and so on.

Fixed Price De Dietrich Repairs

Getting a fixed price Repair for your De Dietrich in your local area couldn’t be easier. Rest assured, we have a local network of fully trained appliance engineers able to Repair your appliance.

find out more about our De Dietrich Service